Product Marketing · Go-to-Market Strategy
From "Beautiful Idea" to Scalable Growth
How I Built PlotJoys' GTM Strategy & Multi-Channel Marketing Engine from Scratch
Timeline
2025 — Ongoing
6+ months
My Role
Solo Marketing Lead
Growth & Strategy
Tools
GA4 · TikTok Ads
Meta Business · YouTube Studio
Background
PlotJoys was founded by my friend Dao with a magical vision: every child deserves to be the hero of their own story. Using a proprietary AI illustration pipeline, they craft one-of-a-kind, fully personalized books.
When I took over, PlotJoys had no brand equity, no historical data, and no social following. The team was product-heavy (AI & engineering) but had zero marketing presence.
The Challenge
I stepped in as the Solo Marketing Lead to build the entire GTM infrastructure from scratch — with one mission: validate product-market fit and build a high-trust acquisition funnel on a lean startup budget.
Define
The Multi-Channel GTM Strategy
Personalized products for children are high-trust, emotional purchases. I bypassed traditional "corporate" ads and designed a content-first, creator-led growth engine across the platforms where parents actually spend their time.
The Three-Pillar Growth Framework
The "Social Proof" Engine
TikTok & Instagram
Leveraging the "Reveal Moment" — the exact second a child sees themselves in the book — to create viral, high-conversion organic and paid content.
The "Authority" Engine
YouTube
Partnering with family vloggers and educational creators for long-form reviews to build deep trust and SEO value.
The "Retention" Engine
Building automated drip campaigns to convert "browsers" into "buyers" and maximize LTV.
Social Proof
TikTok · IG Reels
Authority
YouTube · SEO
Retention
Email · LTV
Develop
Full-Funnel Execution
As the sole marketer, I didn't just strategize; I executed every touchpoint.
Dominating Video Platforms (TikTok, IG & YouTube)
Instead of generic ads, I focused on Persona-Matched Creator Partnerships:
TikTok & Reels
Managed 20+ micro-influencer collaborations focusing on "edutainment" and unboxing. I handled everything from vetting creators to brief creation and performance tracking.
YouTube Integration
Secured long-form placements with parenting creators, providing an "evergreen" source of high-intent traffic.
Paid Social
Used top-performing creator content as Spark Ads (TikTok) and Partnership Ads (Meta), significantly lowering our CAC compared to standard brand creative.
A storybook we created to show that PlotJoys isn't just a book — it's a joy moment between parent and child.
The Ambassador Program (Grassroots Growth)
I built a scalable Ambassador Pipeline from scratch:
Creator Identification
Identified "Super-Mom/Dad" creators who genuinely valued personalized education — not just anyone with a big follower count.
End-to-End Logistics
Managed the full gifting pipeline: personalized book creation, shipping coordination, and creative feedback loop.
Authentic Content Stream
Result: A steady stream of authentic, unscripted content that lives on PlotJoys' social profiles as evergreen social proof.
CRM & Marketing Automation
I built the "brain" of the marketing operation:
Email Funnels
Designed automated sequences for abandoned carts, "How it Works" education, and post-purchase referrals.
Data Infrastructure
Set up GA4 and custom UTM tracking to ensure every marketing dollar spent on TikTok or YouTube was tied to a conversion.
Deliver
Results & Impact
I didn't just run campaigns; I built a Marketing Department in a Box.
Increase in
Organic Traffic
Through creator-led SEO content, influencer partnerships, and a consistent social media engine, organic visits grew steadily month-over-month — validating the channel mix without heavy ad spend.
Before vs. After
0 → 1 Growth
Established the first consistent revenue stream for the company through creator-driven acquisition.
Channel Validation
Identified TikTok as the primary high-volume acquisition channel and YouTube as the highest-trust conversion driver.
Efficiency
Achieved a sustainable CAC that allowed the startup to reinvest in product development.
Legacy
Created a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for influencer outreach, email flows, and ad management that continues to run today.
"I didn't just help a friend; I built the growth engine that proved her vision was a viable business."